THERE is every chance that Lechlade Cricket Club will enjoy the sound of wickets tumbling this season with the drafting to their squad of young Gloucestershire bowling ace Craig Miles.

The 20-year-old from Swindon dazzled at the tail end of last year by taking five wickets in the final game of the LV County Championships against Kent and cracking 48 with the bat.

He has already continued that wicket-taking streak in the first match of the new season by recording an outstanding 6-63 in just under twenty overs to help skittle Northamptonshire out for 333, in the first innings of their Championship Division Two clash.

That wicket haul was a career best for Miles and has laid down the gauntlet to the rest of the squad to follow suit with top performances that, he hopes, will drive Gloucestershire into a position of strength within the game this season.

Seamer Miles said: “As a group of guys here, we are ready to go.

“We have got quite a good bunch in terms of experience, with Hamish Marshall and Geraint Jones.

“They can really put some runs on the board for us.”

Miles can add a few runs to the total himself, as demonstrated against Kent, but says bowling is the main focus of his game.

“Bowling is my best part,” he said.

“Anything with the bat is a bonus and I tend to have to work on the batting.

“Wickets is where I want to contribute to the side and any runs down the order is a bonus.”

That is great news for Lechlade when Miles gets the chance to play for them in the West of England Premier League Premier Two.

Miles said: “I remember, it must be close to ten years ago now, they were in the same league as my side back home, Purton, so I played at the ground.

“It sounds like a good club to be at. They sound like they have a good group of players coming through and have had back-to-back promotions, I believe.

“If I do get a chance to play for them, it will be a good side to represent.”

Lechlade open their season away at Cheltenham on May 2 before tackling Potterne at home a week later.